Last 18 Balls

COMMENTARY

So, we're done with this one, but we move on to the next. On Wednesday, 27th March, Kolkata welcome Punjab to Eden Gardens. The action starts at 2000 local (1430 GMT). Do join in for that. Goodbye and take care!

Man of the Match, Shane Watson, says the surface was better than the one in Chennai. Is happy he was able to score some runs tonight. States that he was suffering from a few niggling injuries, so is happy he's fit and able to contribute to the team. Ends by saying that he's happy to be back in the Indian T20 League, in the Chennai camp, as he loves the positivity around.

Chennai captain, MS Dhoni, says it looks okay as of now. Adds that the wicket was slow but knew the dew would come into play later on. Credits his bowlers for restricting Delhi to just 147. Continues to say that they have covered all the areas, are preparing well, and also mentions that he rues the loss of Lungi Ngidi. Honestly accepts that they're not a very good fielding side as there are quite a few older players, but they are adjusting well in other areas which is a big positive for them. Emphasizes that death bowling is an area they want to work on, so is looking forward to working on it in the nets.

Kedar Jadhav is caught for a chat. He says that the wicket was a little bit on the slower side, so it's difficult to know how to go about your work. States that he feels disappointed he couldn't finish things off with the bat, but stresses the chase was always in control, so there was no cause for worry. Reckons that everyone knows what's to be done out there and if their batsmen bat the entire 20 overs, they feel confident of getting over the line. On retaining the title, he says it's too early and they just want to take it one game at a time.

Delhi captain, Shreyas Iyer, says it was difficult for the batsmen to get off the mark. Mentions that he's usually good against spin, but found it difficult and even cites Rishabh Pant's difficulty in scoring freely as an indicator of this tricky surface. Informs that the slow nature of the pitch was the reason he decided to bat first. Continues saying that if they had done better in the Powerplay with the ball, maybe things would have turned out different. States that there are still positives to take, so will focus on them and take it forward in the next game.

Delhi needed to start off well, and even if that didn't happen, at the very least capitalized on the advantageous moments. You'd have thought that moment would have come after Raina's wicket, but the Chennai middle order kept a sensible head over their shoulders and saw their side home. Earlier in the day, Delhi were going along well, but in a period where they lose 4 wickets in 12 balls, proved to be the pivotal reason in their downfall. They posted a total on the board which eventually didn't prove to be enough.

So a comfortable-ish end for Chennai as they bag their second win of the season in as many games. Chasing 148 was never going to be any trouble for them. After Watson's start and Raina's brisk knock, the game was more or less sealed. The rest to follow didn't have to do much, just keep the scoreboard ticking and get over the line. Barring Rabada's final over, there was never any sign of nerves or trouble in the Chennai camp.

End of over 20 ( 8 Runs )CSK 150/4Dwayne Bravo* 4(3)Ms Dhoni 32(35)
150 runs for CSK
19.4Kagiso Rabada to Dwayne Bravo.FOUR, FOUR! There it is! Bravo manages to get bat on it and sends the ball to the boundary line. CHENNAI WIN BY 6 WICKETS! Dwayne moves inside the line of this back of a length delivery and whips it through backward square leg stylishly.

19.3Kagiso Rabada to Dwayne Bravo. no run, Third dot in a row. Hurled further outside off, Bravo looks to cut and misses once more. Pressure building. Dhoni has a word with Dwayne. Probably just telling him to tap and run.

19.2Kagiso Rabada to Dwayne Bravo. no run, Dot ball. Ooohhh... Short of a good length outside off, Bravo looks to cut this through the off side but fails to connect. Some extra bounce and zip once again for Rabada.

Dwayne Bravo walks in next.

19.1Kagiso Rabada to Kedar Jadhav.out, OUT! Oh... a wicket for Rabada off the first ball. Interesting. A loose delivery outside off, some extra bounce. Jadhav goes after it and pokes at it. Gets a faint nick behind and the keeper does the rest. Still very much Chennai's game, for now.

Kagiso Rabada to bowl the final over.

End of over 19 ( 9 Runs )CSK 146/3Ms Dhoni* 32(35)Kedar Jadhav 27(33)18.6Amit Mishra to Ms Dhoni. no run, Quick, short and flat on middle, MSD goes back and works it straight to short mid-wicket.

30 runs for Ms Dhoni
18.5Amit Mishra to Ms Dhoni.SIX, SIX! Dhoni tees up and that's more or less the game for Chennai. The skipper goes downtown. Clears his front leg as it's tossed right up and smokes it straight back over the bowler's head for a maximum. Just 2 needed now off 7 balls.

18.4Amit Mishra to Kedar Jadhav. 1 run, Jadhav too goes down the ground, finds long on and takes one.

18.3Amit Mishra to Ms Dhoni. 1 run, Quicker through the air, outside off, Dhoni stays back and hits it aerially to long off, on the bounce, for a run.

18.2Amit Mishra to Kedar Jadhav. 1 run, A lot of air on this as it's pitched outside off, full in length, Jadhav drags this as he places it through mid-wicket. Wide long on moves across to his right and keeps the batsmen to just the one.

18.1Amit Mishra to Kedar Jadhav. no run, Quick and flat just outside off, Jadhav punches it back to the bowler. A dot ball to begin things.

After allrounder Bravo made the most of a typically sluggish Kolta track, helping his team restrict Delhi to 147/6 with figures of 3/33, Watson took on the bowlers to set up the match. Delhi made a brief comeback in the middle-overs, before the experienced duo of MS Dhoniand Kedar Jadhav took their team home with two balls remaining.

Watson got together for a stand of 52 runs in just three overs with Suresh Raina to put Chennai in a comfortable position after Delhi struck early with the wicket of Ambati Rayudufor five, taken by Ishant Sharma in the 3rd over.

Watson, after a 10-ball duck in the opening fixture against Bangalore, was up and running with two fours off left-arm spinner Axar Patel, who bowled the second over, before using the pace of Kagiso Rabada to get a four and a six. He first dug out a 150 kmph yorker for four and then managed to top edge a 145 kmph bouncer over the boundary ropes.

Raina then move across his crease to hit Ishant for a boundary before adding two more in the next two balls – one over point and the other towards the cow corner. Raina added another four off Rabada, and by the sixth over Chennai were in cruise mode at 58/1.

Leg spinner Amit Mishra, in for Trent Boult, was greeted with two huge hits over the ropes by a fired up Shane Watson, who had an altercation with Ishant earlier. But Mishra had his man as the former Australian international tried his luck for the third time with a big swipe, but the wide delivery was well taken behind the stumps by Rishabh Pant, who went on to complete the stumping.

Chennai stuttered with the wicket of Raina for 30 off 16 balls to Mishra. But, Jadhav and Dhoni put on 48 runs for the fifth wicket. Delhi lost their way in the middle with some ordinary bowling and fielding; and by the 15th over, Chennai needed 28 runs off 30 balls. Even though Dhoni played five dots balls off Axar in the 17th over; as always he held his nerve anchored the chase with an unbeaten 32 off 35 balls.